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US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (Federal Circuit or CAFC)
Practical Law Glossary Item 9-507-0272 (Approx. 3 pages)
Glossary
US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (Federal Circuit or CAFC)
A US appellate court that is unique among the 13 US circuit courts of appeals because its jurisdiction is based solely on subject matter instead of geography (28 U.S.C. § 1295).
The Federal Circuit has exclusive jurisdiction over appeals from the decisions of:
- District courts in cases arising under certain federal laws, including where the original action was based in whole or in part on a patent law claim.
- Certain administrative agencies, including:
- the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) with respect to patent applications, derivation proceedings, inter partes and post-grant reviews, and ex parte reexamination proceedings;
- the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) with respect to trademark proceedings; and
- the US International Trade Commission (ITC) with respect to final determinations relating to unfair practices in import trade made under section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. § 1337).
- Certain courts, including the US Court of Federal Claims, US Court of International Trade and US Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
The Federal Circuit, located in Washington, DC, was formed in 1982 by the merger of the US Court of Customs and Patent Appeals and the appellate division of the US Court of Claims (Federal Courts Improvement Act, Pub. L. No. 97-164, 96 Stat. 25 (1982)). Information about the court, including copies of its opinions and orders, is available on its website.